What Could Have Been
by Stefanotis
Summary: Dick looks back on his life with Kory and what could have been. Posted this on my tumblr so I thought why not here too. This was for a Dickkory week post.


Gotham never looked more dull and Dick swore at the downpour rain that was falling from the sky. He had parked his car on the side, making last minute touches on his hair, and checking that there was no food stuck in his teeth.

It had been four years since he's last seen her and he finally found a day where he could go meet with her but he never expected to be this nervous. He had planned what he would say to her, rehearsing it over and over again as he walked around his apartment, but the speech he memorized found its way out his memory storage.

Friends and family had been trying to reach him, distracting him from his thoughts, so he turned off his phone for the entire day. Bruce was probably tracking him right now but he didn't care because he needed to have this conversation with her.

The rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon so Dick mustered up all his courage and exited his car, umbrella protecting him from getting wet, and walked past some people on the way.

As he walked, he thought about the time he had with her.

He didn't quite understand why they broke up in the first place but it was a mutual agreement between the two so there was never bad blood. They stayed friends for a while and would even get together if they were in the same area for dinner or simply just watching a movie together.

At one point they started hooking up again.

Not dating but doing a friends with benefits kind of thing.

That was the worst mistake Dick ever made.

Not because he didn't find her sexy or anything but really friends with benefits is a dangerous thing especially with an ex.

It's even more dangerous when you're both drunk and forget to use protection.

He sat outside her bathroom door, knees up, and head hanging low as those three minutes felt like three years. He couldn't hear anything coming from the bathroom and his heart twisted when she finally opened the door.

He searched her face for a confirmation of anything but she was stoic as she looked down at the stick.

"I'm not pregnant" she simply said.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"The lines match" she said.

"Thats good" he laughed before searching her face for agreement. "Right?"

"Right."

He watched as she scratched her head and closed her eyes. "You should probably go home now that-

"Kor its okay if you felt happy about the thought of-

"I'm okay Dick-

"No, I can tell you're upset-

"I said I'm okay!" she snapped.

They hadn't seen each other for seven months after that incident. He wanted to talk to her, he understood why she would get upset, but he also wanted to respect her by giving her space.

When they saw each other again, they had bumped into each other in Gotham. She was coming back from a go-see and with smiles, she booked four modeling gigs.

He had never heard her speak about modeling before but he knew she could do it and she did it. He saw her face everywhere! Not her face but her human face and she was all over the place. Magazines, billboards, E-news, and he felt jealousy.

She was doing her own thing.

Running the world and without him.

He watched as guys talked about her with lust and couldn't help but feel protective against her. Kory Anders haunted his mind but he knew she had to do this for herself.

A year later they met up again.

She was in town for Fashion Week and a guest at Bruce Wayne's charity gala. Dick had no idea that she was going to be at this event and his poor date couldn't find him all night when Kory and he snuck into a backroom to "talk."

Two months later and it was pregnancy scare round two.

She hadn't gotten her cycle and as Dick sat outside the bathroom door once again, he contemplated whether or not he was ready to be a father. Two years ago, he would have said no but now that he's matured, being a father didn't sound so bad.

And it didn't sound so bad nine-months later while he held his princess.

Nine-months of pregnancy brought them so much closer together and they got to learn about each other all over again. The media went crazy over the announcement of their pregnancy but contrary to popular belief, they weren't an official couple until she was in her eighth month of pregnancy. He had planned to propose to her on her next birthday but she was called back to Tamaran four months after Mar'i was born.

She would only be gone for a week.

That was promised.

She would come back.

That was promised.

She'd always love him and Mar'i.

That was promised.

Dick stopped in his tracks when he reached his destination. He removed the flowers from behind him and presented them to her.

"I know these are your favorite" he said to her. "So I thought I'd grab some from our local flower shop."

He placed them down in front of her and smiled.

"I've missed you Kor" he said. "I've missed you a lot and I'm sorry I haven't been visiting lately."

He nervously shuffled and was about to continue until the rain stopped. He looked up as the sun shined in his face and he smiled. He closed the umbrella and placed it off to the side.

"That's my girl. Always showing me sunshine even on rainy days. Um, the reason why I came is because I really miss you but also Mar'i is starting kindergarten next week. Yea, our baby is all grown up. She's so excited though and has already picked out her first day of school outfit. You wouldn't believe what she wants to wear. Her Batman costume. Yup, she told me it's because she wants to be just like her Pa and fight crime."

"She's been such a good girl and her flight is getting better and she's gotten so much better at controlling her strength. She still hasn't gotten her starbolts in yet but we're crossing our fingers that she inherits all your powers. Vic said not to get my hopes up because your starbolts were given artificially but I have a feeling I'll be seeing those starbolts again."

He cleared his throat and looked away his surroundings before looking back down at her.

"I also met someone. She's a great person Kor and we've only been dating for a month but I see great things for us. I still haven't let her meet Mar'i yet because I don't think either one of us is ready for that sort of change but...I...fuck! Why'd you have to go to Tamaran? Why'd you have to agree to stay for another week? None of this...you wouldn't be...that fucking bastard wouldn't have stabbed you! You'd be here with me! Helping me care for Mar'i. Teaching her everything and...I need you Kor. I tried to be strong but I can't anymore and I miss you so much! We were supposed to get married. We were supposed to have more children, go through all the stress of parenting together, and growing old together. Mar'i needs a mother. She needs her mother. And I need you! I miss you like crazy and there's not a day where I don't think about you. I'm trying to date and see a future with someone else but...I just can't be with someone who's not you."

He wiped at his tears and knelt down before touching her gravestone.

"We could have been so much more."


End file.
